The Clifton clarion., 1887-04-13
COLONEL I. BOWIE.
HIS VARIOUS ENCOUNTERS.
The Man Who Invented the Fa-
 n,oas Bowie knIfe-Nassacre Of the Alamo.

oS-aSeNeaOAN tiAO AftNbte.tssF " 8c " the effect that one of the curiosities sition WAS a knife which had once belonged to Col. James Bowie. Who was Colonel Bowie? He was one oi the noted characters of the Southwest during the first quarter of the present century. AS a duelist and gambler he was without q peer. He was the inventor of the knife which bears his name, and which he used with terri Die effect in many of his ferocious encounters.
 On one occasion, having been chGl- lenged, he stipulated that tine fight should take place at midnight in a darSened room. The combatants entered and the door was locked, the seconds and surgeons remaining on the outside. With painful interest they listened for the fight to begin. All was silent save tine sound of feet moving stealthiiy over the floor and an occasional moan as of some one in pain. In few minutes one of the men was heard 10 fall, and q voice from within cried out, "come in. " Upon entering the room the attend ants found Bowie lying in a pool of blood, almost cut to pieces, but still breathing. He recovered. The other man died in a few hours.
 Another time he fought his oppo- nent across log, each with an arm tied to his back. As before, the ter riblc knife WIS the weapon used. Bowie vas badly cut about the head and body. His antagonist was killed on the spot.
 Colonel Bowie was a very small man, his weight at no time exceeding ll0 bounds. When not excited he was as gentle and as tender-hearted as 2 woman. He invariably took the side of the weak against the strong. Entering a stage coach one day he found that the only other occupants were man and a woman. Colonel Bowie drew q newspaper from his pocket and began to read. The other rnale passenger lighted cigar and began smoking 1t. In few minutes the lady requested tine gentleman to stop smoking, saving 1t made her head ache. Tho man paid no atten- ton 10 the reques.. Colonel Bowie, who had observed what had taken place, folded up his paper and re- placed 1t in his pocket. He then drew q mIT,ierOus-looking knife from it's sheath at his side, and addressing his mae companion, said " am Col. James Bow;e. You may know me. Gou have heard the ladY's request. ] will give you five minutes to throw that cigar out of the window. Ii YOU don't do 1t, you must take the conse- quences."
 The name vas caoGsh. The fellow surrendered internationally. The cigar disappeared through the win dow aad tn. nan through the door, glad ;O get away from such dangerous company with a whole skin.
 Colonel Bowie'S death was as heroic Rs his lie hai been iawless and dar- ing. When the war of Texan inde- pendence broke out he joined the patriots and became one of their ablest leaders. Ec:-eating with 1S0 men before an overwhelming force of Mexicaus. commanded by Gen. Santa Anna, he male h:s WAY to San An tun;o de Bexar aEl tool; up position blAAithl t4st N.t-4S tt tAtC AAs4ll4O, lO4 of considerable strength, and which commanded the city. The Mexicans, 5,0J1 strong, laid siege to the place, constructed batteries, and began to play away against the fort, while masses of infantry rushed forward to scale the wall Many daring feat was performed by Bowie and his men, who, surrounded on ali sides, neither thought o; capituiating or asking for quarter in any extremity.
 Such was the extent of the fort that it required the incessant vigilance of all the besieged at the different points oi the attack. There was no time for sleeping. The day of tine night on which the Alamo fell was one of incessant fighting. The night was dark, and the exhausted patriots sought to obtain d few hours sleep. The MeXicans are upon the wall !" were the startling words wlIit-i caused every Texan to spring to h;s feet and grasp h.s rife. The enemy, taking adyantage of the darkness, had crept up to the fort unpcrceiyed by the dr"wsy sentinel, and were in posses sion oi the wall. The struggle was desperate. The patriots lad no choice between the death and victory. Hundreds 0f the enemy were either pitched from the walt or pu; to death by the Bowie knife or bavOnet. At last the Mcxicans rushed forward, and, surrounding the patriots on ali sides, cut them to pieces. Not man escaped.
 On the night of the attack, Colonel Bowie was confined to his room by sickness. When the Mcxicans broke over the wall some of them rushed to his apartment. iie was up in time to take his stand a; tine door, and with his terrible knife he for some time kept the enemy at bay. When his mighty arm grew tired with the work oi death he .c!l upon the heaps of slain which he hai piled up around him. and was instantly hacked aud stabbed tO death
 Colonel Bowie's second in com Inand at the massacre oi the Alamo was Col. David Crockett, many of whose quaint sayings are household words ia tIis country. As q hunter and backwoo,isman he had no equal. He served one term in Congress, and was a candidate for reelection, but Wis defeated. He then emigrated to Texas and joined the :atriot army. He escaped from the massacre of Colonel l'annin's eGmmani, and re- rorto,: to Colonel Bowie for orders. lie was with the little army during the retreat to San Antonio. and with i-enteEed the Alamo, which became the grave oi the entire command. The only persons in the fort who es- capcd were a servant woman and her ch:li. which was ai,crwar,i adopted bv the Republic of Texas and educated at the public cost. That Crockett fell when the Mex;cans rushed over the wall is all that is known; hv whom CT how no one was left to tell. Hut titc ifna,=iu.,lirl can wall rictil-p